Mathieu Boogaerts

Hailing from Fontenay-sous-Bois in Île-de-France, France, where he entered the world in 1970, Mathieu Boogaerts has built a reputation as an acclaimed French alternative singer/songwriter whose sound merges Afro-pop and reggae with indie electronica and folk. Remark Records issued his first commercial recording, the four-track maxi-single Ondulé Spécial, in 1995, and the full-length Super arrived the next year. After moving to Disc'AZ he delivered the five-track maxi-single Version Simple (Et Version Compliquée) in 1998, setting the stage for J'en Ai Marre d'Être Deux. The album broke through commercially, aided by its folk-tinged Michael Jackson medley “Beat It/Billie Jean,” and reached number 67 on the French albums chart. In the aftermath he released the live set Mathieu Boogaerts en Public in 2000, then joined the Warner Music France subsidiary Tôt ou Tard for 2000, which appeared in 2002 and peaked at number 25. A November 2002 solo performance at Le Lavoir Moderne Parisien was captured for the DVD 2000 en Concert “Solo,” released in 2003 to meet growing demand. Michel (2005) and I Love You (2008) stayed outside the French Top 50 yet showed Boogaerts exploring fresh creative territory and drew favorable notices from critics and listeners. He also surfaces on Tôt ou Tard anthologies such as the double-disc Plutôt Tôt -- Plutôt Tard (2005), a label showcase built around collaborations, and Le Grand Dîner (2006), a tribute to Dick Annegarn.